Fertilizer spreading machine



Feb. 28, 1950 wEYER 2,498,833

FERTILIZER SPREADING MACHINE Filed 001:. 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l "PE 5a. 19 2212712]: =2

Feb. 28, 1950 H. J. WE'YER FERTILIZER SPREADING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed 001;. 25, 1946 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFERTILIZER S-PREADING MACHINE Henry Weyer, Inglewood, Calif. IApplication October 25, 1946, Serial No. 705,643

2 Claims.

This invention relates to scattering unloaders,

lawns and in similar areas, saidmachine being.

inexpensive to manufacture, compact in size and providing a uniformspreading of the fertilizer over the area traversed thereby.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfromthe following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly in cross-section, of afertilizer spreading machine constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the fertilizer spreading machine ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on line3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the main body portion of themachine of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, designates a generally trough-shaped hopperhaving side walls |2, |3, a rear wall l4 and a front wall l5. Journalledin the lower portions of side walls l2 and I3 is a shaft IS.

The lower portions of walls It and I5 are downwardly tapered and thelower end of wall I5 is open at I! to define a forwardly facing outletopening at the bottom of the hopper extending substantially from sidewall I 2 to side wall l3. Rigidly mounted on shaft l6 are opposed discsl8, l8 and secured to said discs parallel to and radially spaced fromshaft l6 are a plurality of radial agitator blades l9 which function tobreak up lumps of fertilizer in the bottom of hopper II and to propelthem out of opening I! responsive to rotation of shaft l6.

Rotatably mounted on the ends of shaft l6 are ground-engaging wheels 20,20'. Rigidly secured to shaft l6 adjacent the inner hub portion 2| ofwheel 20 is a ratchet disc 22. Pivotally secured to hub portion 2| are apair of diametrically opposed pawlmembers 23, 23 adapted to engage theteeth of ratchet disc 22 and biased towards engaging positions therewithby a spring 24 which yieldably connects the free ends of the pawlmempulling on handle 28.

. rotates at a relatively slow rate.

bers together. When the machine is moved forwardly pawls 23, 23 engagethe teeth of ratchet disc 22 and cause shaft l6 to rotate. When themachine is moved rearwardly, the pawls slip past the teeth on theratchet disc and shaft |6 remains stationary. 1

Secured to the side walls l2 and I3 are respective forwardly extendingbars25 and 26 connected by a crossbar 21 and ,joined together at theirforward ends by a handle structure 28. By pulling on handle 28 themachine is moved forwardly and by pushing on said handle the machine ismovedrearwardly.

Journalled in side walls l2 and I3 above and parallel to shaft I6 is ashaft 29 carrying a plurality of radial teeth 30 arranged in staggeredrows on shaft 29. Secured to one end of shaft 29 is a relatively largepulley 3|. Secured on shaft IS in alignment with pulley 3| is arelatively small pulley 32. A belt 33 couples pulley 3| to pulley 32, sothat shaft 29 rotates with shaft |6 but at a slower rate.

Secured to the lower portions of side walls l2 and I3 are a pair offorwardly and downwardly extending bracket bars 34 and 35. J ournalledin the lower end portions of bracket bars 34 and 35 is a shaft 36 whichextends parallel to shaft I6.

Rigidly secured to one end of shaft 36 is a relatively small gear 31.Gear 31 meshes with a relatively large gear 38 which is rigidly securedto shaft I6. Shaft 36 thus rotates with shaft l6 but at a greater speedand in an opposite direction.

Secured to shaft 36 are discs 33 and 40 and secured to said discs are aplurality of radial agitator and distributor blades 4| which areparallel to and radially spaced from shaft 36.

In operation, fertilizer such as manure or the like is placed in hopperH and the machine is moved forwardly over the area to be fertilized byThe larger lumps of fertilizer are broken up by teeth 3|] on shaft 29which The fertilizer is further broken up by agitator blades I9 on shaft|6 which rotates at the same speed as wheels 20, 2|). Blades l3 alsopropel the fertilizer out" through opening I! onto the blades 4| onshaft 36 which rotates at a faster rate than shaft l6 and causes thefertilizer to be still further pulverized and at the same timedistributes it evenly onto ,the kground behind the machine.

Although; the specific embodiment illustrated i hereinfl sho ysrthedistributing action as occurring 'rearwardlyo'f the machine as it ispulled forward, by reversi'ngi"the ratchet disc 22 and the pawl members23, 23, the direction of distribution of the machine may be reversed,and it may be thus arranged to function responsive to pushing handle 28instead of pulling thereon within the spirit of the present invention.

While a specific embodiment of a fertilizer distributing machine hasbeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the inven- Therefore it isintended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

2. A fertilizer distributor comprising a hopper formed with a dischargeopening in the bottom thereof; a first shaft journaled in said hopperadjacent said opening, a plurality of agitating 5 blades on said shaft,a second shaft journaled in said hopper above said first shaft andoperatively connected thereto, agitating teeth on said latter shaft,ground engaging wheels journaled on said first .shaft,,.meansfor....transmitting rotation of tion may occur to Zth'ose skilled inthe; art. lofisaicl wheels to said firstxishaft resp n v y 0 rotation ofsaid wheels in one direction, a third shaft journaled beneath saiddischarge opening, agitating and distributor blades on said thirdishaftgzrandtsaidriving gear connection between A fertilizerdistributing machinmcomprismgwla said third shaft and said first shaftfor rotating "saiddistri'butor blades at a speed greater than a hopper,a first shaft journalled in said hopper adjacent the bottom thereof;a=secondt "shaft .iournalled in said hopper above said filSStEShaft; arelatively small pulley on said first shaft, a relatively large.pulleyonisaidsecond shaft, a belt 0 coupling said; pu'll'eys, aplurality: of agitating blades secured to said first. shaft, a;plura'litybf ta'gitating teethisecuredtd'said second shaft, a

j pair bfg'igro-unct-engaging "wheels; ,j'ournalled' on "said firstshaft," means" for" transmitting rotation of said wheels to saidvfirstshaft resporisiveohly l to forward rotation of saidi'wheels, said hopperf being formedwith aidis'charge: opening adjacent Is'a'idblades ofasaidfirsflshaft, "support means '3 theaspeed of said-first shaft.

HENRY J. WEYER.

REFERENCES CITED iThe following references; are of? record in the fi'le'of this' patent I UNITED: STATES-BATENTS -Number extending downwardlyfromsaidzhopper adjacent fgs'aidf discharge opening; a third shaftjournalled in"'sa'id' support "means" beneath" said discharge opening,av plurality ofagitatingandidistributor ":bladespn saidthird shaft,a'relativ'ely small gear on said thirdsh'a'ft; and az'relativelwlargegear 'on'saidfirstshaft, said gears being inime'sh.

"Number Name Date ""CdOk -June' 12;"1'866 Philpbt July 25,- E882 BrownMay -18, 1915 Gordon *"S;eptf 6, 1932 Fearn Nov? 22} "1932 "-GarrdrudMayBO; 1944 FOREIGN T- PATENTS -""Gountry Date Italy .Jan? 3; 1929

